If the payroll of the Los Angeles Dodgers could be compared to that of anything else in America, they would be right on par with the top one percent in regards to those who make a living. The ability that the Dodgers have had to spend has never been duplicated in the history of baseball. The fact that the Dodgers have held the highest payroll in all of major league baseball for each of the past four seasons may very well increase the level of urgency to win now to a level that has not been seen before. The Dodgers had an opening day team payroll of $95,143,575 right before the 2012 season, according to www.stevetheump.com. They boosted it up to $216,597,577 for the start of the 2013 season, which trailed only the New York Yankees. From opening day of 2014 to opening day of the 2016, the Dodgers led the major league in payroll with totals of $235,295,219, $272,789,040, and $223,352,402, respectively. According to www.baseballreference.com, the Dodgers are estimated to once again lead all of MLB in team payroll at a projected $234,700,000. I respect any sports team that goes to all leaps and bounds to win. The fact that the Dodgers want to have the best team, regardless of what that cost is, is something that other teams should try to learn from. The ultimate prize of winning a World Series title should trump any silly business "bottom line profit on paper" garbage. One of the moves the team made this off season was to acquire second baseman Logan Forsythe from the Tampa Bay Rays, a team that would rather discuss other ways of making a dollar than actually win a baseball game, have a winning season, or dream of competing for a World Series Championship. The Dodgers also signed relief pitcher Sergio Romo from the rival San Francisco Giants (ironically, the Rays were also interested in his services) and outfielder Franklin Gutierrez from the Seattle Mariners. Most importantly for the Dodgers, it was the return of three of their own free agents that stole the headlines of their off season. The Dodgers brought back reliever Kenley Jansen (5 years, $80 million), third baseman Justin Turner (4 years, $64 million) and starting pitcher Rich Hill (3 years, $48 million). The Dodgers are led by the Sandy Koufax of this generation, Clayton Kershaw. He enters this season with a 2.38 earned run average for his career and an ERA less than 2.00 in three of the past four seasons. The three time Cy Young Award winner tired in game four of the 2016 National League Division Series against the Washington Nationals only to redeem himself by getting the final two outs of game five to help the Dodgers get to the NLCS for the first time in three tries (They failed to make it past the NLDS in 2014 and 2015 after doing so in 2013). Hill was great last season (12 wins, 5 losses, 2.12 ERA, 129 strikeouts in just over 110 innings pitched) and was only hindered by a bizarre blister situation which sidelined him for an extended period of time. In a season where the Dodgers got just 21 starts from Kershaw and six from Hill, right hander Kenta Maeda stands out with his 32 starts in 2016, finishing the season 16-11 with 179 Ks in just under 176 IP. Though he is very similar mechanics- wise to former Dodgers starting pitcher Hiroki Kuroda, Maeda debuted in the major leagues four years younger than Kuroda, has a much better ability to miss bats, and strikes out batters at a much higher rate. Outside of that three, nothing is really etched in stone, though the Dodgers have a lot of talented starting pitchers. Left hander Julio Urias has top of the rotation stuff, but the 20 year- old will be on an innings limit this season which will impact his usage. Veteran Scott Kazmir has a career history of injuries and will be battling with three other injured Dodgers veterans- Brandon McCarthy, Hyun-Jin Hyu, and Alex Wood. Ross Stripling is yet a ninth option for the Dodgers, who show you can never have enough proven starting pitchers to begin a season. Jansen was the key to the Dodgers bullpen last season and would have been a huge loss if he signed elsewhere as a free agent. He had 100 strikeouts in just under 69 IP to go along with his 1.83 ERA, 0.067 WHIP and 47 saves. Romo replaces Joe Blanton, who did a solid job last season. Left hander Grant Dayton struck out 39 batters in just over 26 innings last season and is joined by fellow left handers Adam Liberatore and Luis Avilan. Right handers Josh Fields, Pedro Baez, and Chris Hatcher could be the difference in the Dodgers having an average bullpen to one that is among the best in the league. Hatcher is the biggest wild card in the group, as the plus ability in his stuff can be much better than it has been over the past two years. Pay attention to right hander Brandon Morrow, who clearly has the arm to resurrect his career as a reliever. Hopefully, he can stay healthy. The Dodgers have one of the most consistent offensive players in all of major league baseball in first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. Gonzalez has played in at least 156 games in each of the past eleven seasons. He can be counted on to hit around his career .290 batting average and OPS (on base plus slugging) of .854. Turner parlayed his break out season (.275, 27, 90 in career high 151 games played) into his new contract. 2016 NL Rookie of the Year Corey Seager was probably the Dodgers best offensive player (.308, 26, 92, 106 runs scored, 193 hits, 40 doubles). Forsythe (.268, 20, 52), who came over in the deal that sent top pitching prospect Jose DeLeon to the Rays, was limited to just 127 games in 2016 due to injury. Power hitting center fielder Joc Pederson is the surest thing the Dodgers will be penciling into their outfield, though a lot can still be expected. Left fielder Andre Ethier was limited to 24 at bats in 2016 and Yasiel Puig remains the most gifted baseball talent since Bo Jackson. However, right now, both are considered platoon options with Andrew Toles, Gutierrez, and Trayce Thompson, the latter likely to get some time in center against lefties, spelling Pederson. Kike Hernandez can play center, but also anywhere on the infield, with Chase Utley back for another season planning to play a little third base as well as second. Scott VanSlyke and Rob Segedin will also play important reserve roles with Austin Barnes getting ready for his first full season as the backup to starting catcher Yasmani Grandal. Infielder Cody Bellinger is the team's best prospect by a mile and he possesses MLB ready power. Unfortunately, he is blocked by Gonzalez, but that has led the Dodgers to play him in the outfield, which should expedite his progress. Though the Dodgers have options in the outfield, Bellinger can clearly earn an everyday job by doing what he did last season. Second baseman Willie Calhoun hit 27 home runs last season in the minors. Though Barnes is already on the big league roster, the 27 year-old has the tools to be a solid game calling asset behind the plate with potential to hit enough to be a major league regular. Right handed pitcher Brock Stewart made his big league debut last season and is an insurance option both in the starting rotation and bullpen for this coming season. Down the road, watch out for outfielder DJ Peters, who seems to have the tools to be a solid all around hitter, mostly a power hitter though he hit .351 last season. RIght handed pitcher Mitchell White threw 22 scoreless innings across three minor league levels last season, striking out 30 batters while surrendering just seven hits and six walks. It has not been spoken enough about how important this season is for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Payroll aside, it is about the investment the ownership group has made to build this team into a winner. Winning National League West division titles are good, but the Dodgers are going to be expected to do more than that this season. I think they have the tools to do so- they have an extremely deep starting rotation and have changed their philosophy in the outfield from needing a star at each position to setting up the best match ups to their advantage. The NL West is going to be the most competitive division in all of baseball and will be one of only two with four teams finishing the season with over .500 records. Because of that, I have to take the over/ under numbers into fair consideration. Las Vegas has the Dodgers at 91.5 and though it makes perfect sense to take the over, I am not. I have the Dodgers at 90-72, first place in the NL West.

It has gotten to the point of the team previews where it is becoming redundant to keep repeating the reasons of the countdown and the previews. I have my way and many other outlets have their own, so I will just stick to that. If you want to read a little more about my formula and the differences in what I look for as opposed to others, please check out the last several previews I have done to this point at www.johnpielli.com. The Los Angeles Dodgers are probably the most polarizing team in all of professional baseball. They have the resources to be able to get anything they want, but they have not succeeded in the postseason over the past three seasons. Because of that, many in the Dodgers brain trust is trying to think about what needs to be done to get the team over the hump. After the Dodgers lost in the first round of the National League Division Series this past season, the organization needed to find out the reason its talented team has yet to get to the World Series. The Dodgers have won the National League West division three straight seasons, first losing to the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2013 National League Championship Series, then in the NLDS the following two seasons. Manager Don Mattingly and the Dodgers agreed to mutually part ways, leading many (including myself) to believe that it was the Dodgers who scapegoated the former Yankees great for not making it past the first round the past two seasons. In comes Dave Roberts, the longtime major league outfielder and coach. Known for his epic stolen base in the 2004 American League Championship Series Game Four for the Boston Red Sox against the New York Yankees, Roberts has spent the last couple seasons as the bench coach for the San Diego Padres including serving as the interim manager for one game after Bud Black was let go last season. Losing (perhaps unexpectedly) top starting pitcher Zack Greinke (19 wins, 3 losses, 1.66 earned run average, 200 strikeouts, just less than 222 innings) to the Arizona Diamondbacks was a major blow to the overall expectations of the team. Of course, because they are the Dodgers, the team did add a couple of free agent starting pitchers including Scott Kazmir (7-11, 3.11, 155 Ks, 183 IP) and Kenta Maeda (15-8, 2.09, 175, just over 206 IP) pitching most recently for the Houston Astros and the Hiroshima Carp, respectively. The Dodgers also brought back infielders Howie Kendrick (.295 batting average, 9 home runs, 54 runs batted in, .746 on base plus slugging) and Chase Utley (.212, 8, 39, .629). The addition of breakout reliever Joe Blanton (7-2, 2.84, 79 Ks, 76 IP) from the Pirates should help deepen their bullpen. The Dodgers offense is led by first baseman Adrian Gonzalez (.275, 28, 90, .830), but falls off a little bit afterwards. Third baseman Justin Turner (.294, 16, 60, .861) joins Kendrick and outfielder Andre Ethier (.294, 14, 53, .852) in the projected middle of the Dodgers batting order. The major key to the quality of Los Angeles' batting order potency will be what they get out of outfielder Yasiel Puig (.255, 11, 38, .758) and rookie shortstop Corey Seager (.337, 4, 17, .986 in 27 games in LA and .293, 18, 76, .831 in the minors). Seager is battling a preseason injury, but is expected to become an impact player immediately. The same has been said about Puig, who truly has the ability to be one of the best players in the entire game. His hamstring injury seems to be a thing of the past and he has the ability to raise his game above his solid numbers of 2013 and 2014. Puig and Seager will be the difference in the Dodgers being a good team and a really good team. The difference between being a borderline playoff team and a team that becomes the favorite in winning their forth consecutive National League West division title. Joc Pederson (.210, 26, 54, .763) will be in center field and Yasmani Grandal (.234, 16, 47, .756) will be behind the plate. Injuries to Seager, Turner and Grandal early on will put some importance on the construction of the team's bench. Kike Hernandez (.307, 7, 22, .836) has the ability to back up both in the infield and the outfield, spelling Pederson on many occasions in 2015. Utley, Carl Crawford (.265, 4, 16, .707), Scott VanSlyke (.239, 6, 30, .700) and AJ Ellis (.238, 7, 21, .758) give the team some depth but questions do remain over how much Utley, Crawford and Ellis have left. And Hernandez and VanSlyke have not proven a ton at the big league level, so it remains to be seen how both can handle it if they are given extended playing time. The Dodgers lineup I would go with is Seager SS, Kendrick 2B, Gonzalez 1B, Puig RF, Turner 3B, Ethier LF, Pederson CF, Grandal C. Once again, the Dodgers will be in trouble if they do not get great production from BOTH Puig and Seager. In addition to the loss of Greinke, the Dodgers will be without left hander Hyun-jin Ryu for likely the first month of the season and right hander Brandon McCarthy for an extended period of time as the latter recovers from Tommy John surgery. Left hander Brett Anderson (10-9, 3.69 in 31 starts last season), who accepted the Dodgers qualifying offer for 2016 at $15.8 million, will miss a good amount of the season as well, leaving the Dodgers shorthanded to start the season. Yes, the Dodgers do have the best pitcher in baseball in Clayton Kershaw (16-7, 2.13, 301 Ks in just under 233 IP). Kazmir and Maeda will immediately be expected to play major roles, something that should be more expected from the former than the latter. Left hander Alex Wood (12-12, 3.84, just under 190 IP) could possibly take his game to the next level which would be beneficial for the Dodgers. Right hander Mike Bolsinger (6-6, 3.62, 98 Ks in just over 109 IP) is likely to start the season as the number five starter with Brandon Beachy hoping his second season removed from his second Tommy John operation will show some better results. In spite of the injury concerns, the Dodgers still possess some very solid young starting pitching options likely to start 2016 in AAA. Top pitching prospect Julio Urias has struck out 264 batters in just over 222 IP in the minors and could rise towards the top of the Dodgers rotation once he is called upon. Right hander Jose De Leon has amassed 335 Ks in just over 244 innings during his minor league career. Frankie Montas, acquired in the off season trade that sent third baseman Todd Frazier to the Chicago White Sox, is currently injured but should provide some depth early in the season - probably before the Dodgers call up Urias and De Leon. Soon to be 20 year-old right hander Grant Holmes also has explosive stuff but is much further away. The Dodgers passed on a trade this off season for left hander Aroldis Chapman, making the Cuban left hander a Christmas present for the New York Yankees. They have one of the most underrated relief pitchers in the entire game in Kenley Jensen (2-1, 2.41, 36 saves, 80 Ks, just over 52 IP). Chris Hatcher (3-5, 3.69, 45 Ks, 39 IP) can perhaps be a more impact- full presence, so can left hander Luis Avilan (2-5, 4.05, 73 games). JP Howell (6-1, 1.43, 65 games) may have a chance to work more full innings as opposed to being just a left specialist. Having Avilan around should allow the Dodgers to do so potentially allowing for Howell to be even a more valuable option. Righty Pedro Baez (4-2, 3.35, 60 Ks, 51 IP) will be joined by Blanton giving the Dodgers above average options. However, they do not have another reliever to back up Jensen anyway near the level of a Chapman. I think the Dodgers missed the boat on that one. If you were painting the ideal picture for the 2016 Dodgers, it will start with Seager and Puig becoming instant stars right now. Perhaps Wood and Maeda solidify the two and three spots in the Dodgers rotation and Urias and De Leon impact either the rotation or bullpen for more than half of the season. The Dodgers will win their share of games because of Kershaw and Gonzalez. I think Roberts will be fine as a manager, but it will be tough to expect the Dodgers to keep up with the likes of the San Francisco Giants and Diamondbacks, both of whom improved their teams considerably. One thing I respect about the Dodgers is the fact that they will not stand pat if they realize a severe team need. I can see the Dodgers using their farm system, which has been strengthened over the past couple seasons, to make that last move that can put them over the top. That being said, my predictions are based of what the teams look like at this moment and what can be expected from the players currently in the organization. Las Vegas has the Dodgers over/ under at 87, a number I only think could be obtained by adding another impact position player and/ or starting pitcher from another organization. I have the Dodgers at 82-80, third place in the National League West division.

It is going on the third year that the Dodgers have extremely high expectations coming into the season. With Cy Young and MVP Award winner Clayton Kershaw (21-3, 1.77, 230 Ks in just over 198 IP, 0.857 WHIP, 6 CG) and the overall amount of talent on the team, there has been little to excuse over the fact that the Dodgers have not made it to the World Series in either of the past two campaigns. GM Ned Colletti was re-assigned and the Dodgers brought in Andrew Friedman from the Tampa Bay Rays as team President and Farhan Zaidi from the Oakland Athletics as General Manager. Both of the newly hired executives quickly went to work first parting ways with SS Hanley Ramirez (.283, 13, 71) and then trading franchise player Matt Kemp (.287, 27, 89) to the Padres in a deal that brought them C Yasmani Grandal (.225, 15, 49), RHP Joe Wieland and LHP Zack Eflin. Eflin was then traded with another minor leaguer to the Phillies to get SS Jimmy Rollins (.243, 17, 55, 28 SB). They then embarked on an extremely interesting trade with the Miami Marlins. They traded 2B Dee Gordon (.289, 2, 34, 64 SB), RHP Dan Haren (13-11, 4.02, 32 starts) and infielder Miguel Rojas (.181, 1, 9, 85 games) to Miami in exchange for LHP Andrew Heaney (0-3, 5.83, 5 starts), RHP Chris Hatcher (0-3, 3.38, 60 Ks, 56 IP) and utility player Enrique Hernandez. They then traded Heaney to the Angels for 2B Howie Kendrick (.293, 7, 75, career high 181 hits). Even more interesting was the fact that they chose to take on the entire remaining $10 million of Haren's 2015 salary. They then chose to release RHP Brian Wilson (2-4, 4.66, 61 games) even though the team was on the hook for his $9.5 million salary for the 2015 season. The Dodgers then took to free agency to address the last two spots in their rotation. They signed RHP Brandon McCarthy (10-15, 4.02, 32 starts, 200 IP) to a 4 year, $48 million contact then signed LHP Brett Anderson (1-3, 2.91, 8 starts) to a 1 year, $10 million deal. Both moves could have been considered against the grain but McCarthy had pitched very well for the Yankees after he was acquired (7-5, 2.89, 14 starts) and seems to have recovered from all tyoes of injuries that have impeded his past 6 seasons. The same can be said about Anderson, a one time high ceiling starter who has had a series of injuries destroy the last 4 seasons of his career. If both are back, the Dodgers will get every bit of the value they were seeking for the addition of the two pitchers. The Dodgers added Hatcher from the Marlins and traded for Joel Peralta (3-4, 4.41, 69 games, 74 Ks in just over 63 IP) from the Rays. They have also taken flyers on free agents Dustin McGowan (5-3, 4.17, 53 games, 9 starts) from Toronto and Juan Nicasio (6-6, 5.28, 33 games, 14 starts) from the Rockies. If that wasn't enough, the Dodgers also added relievers David Aardsma, Mike Adams, Chad Gaudin, David Huff and Sergio Santos as NRIs. All of whom can become huge steals if they can make the team. Closer Kenley Jensen (2-3, 2.76, 44 saves, 101 Ks in just over 65 IP) had surgery on his foot which will likely keep him out through April. RHP Brandon League (2-3, 2.57, 63 games) and LHP JP Howell (3-3, 2.39, 68 games) have minor injuries that should not impact their place on the opening day bullpen. Hatcher, Peralta and Paco Rodriguez (1-0, 3.86, 19 games) will also be shouldering a lot of the load early. RHP Pedro Baez (0-0, 2.63, 20 games), McGowan, Nicasio and the group of NRI relievers will manage to make for a very good bullpen. They have the numbers game in their favor, all of whom have track records of success at certain points of their careers. Kershaw's dominance makes it easy to forget how good of a pitcher Zack Greinke (17-8, 2.71, 207 Ks in just over 202 IP) is. Hyun-jin Ryu (14-7, 3.38, 26 starts) is the number three, followed by McCarthy and Anderson. RHP Wieland, brought over from San Diego in the Kemp trade is the top option in case of injury as well as NRIs Erik Bedard, Gaudin and Huff. The main part of the Dodgers lineup will be 1B Adrian Gonzalez (.276, 27, 116) and RF Yasiel Puig (.296, 16, 69). CF Joc Peterson (.303, 33, 78 in AAA) takes the reigns with Carl Crawford (.300, 8, 46, 23 SB) and Andre Ethier (.249, 4, 42). The Dodgers are in a tough spot with Ethier, who seems to have lost his edge. The Dodgers will have to assume a large part of his remaining salary if they were to trade him, similar to the Phillies with Ryan Howard. Juan Uribe (.311, 9, 54) returns to play 3B. The Dodgers lineup I would go with is Rollins SS, Kendrick 2B, Gonzalez 1B, Puig RF, Peterson CF, Uribe 3B, Grandal C, Crawford LF. Justin Turner (.340, 7, 43) was fantastic for them last season and will lead the bench which includes newcomer Chris Heisey (.222, 8, 22), Scott Van Slyke, Darwin Barney, Ethier and now backup catcher AJ Ellis (.191, 3, 25). As good as Peterson should be, 3B/ SS Corey Seager (.349, 20, 97, 50 2B) is expected to be even better. The Dodgers are not in a major need to rush him with the additions of Rollins and Kendrick, but Seager may make it difficult to keep him off the big club for long. RHP Chris Anderson and LHP Julio Urias are missing bats and both should be ready to help out in the rotation this season if needed. Similar to Seager though, both are blocked because of the depth on the major league roster. The Dodgers O/U is set at 92 1/2. I think it is right on. I have the Dodgers winning 93 games, losing 69 games and finishing in 1st place in the NL West division. Lots has to go wrong to see this team finish anywhere but first, even though the Padres are better and the Diamondbacks will be a surprise.

As another baseball regular season has come to a close, it is time to look back on the players who stood out during the 2014 season. Every year, there are the usual players who are All Stars and top performers year in and year out. Also, there are a series of players who went from being average to below average to performing at a very high level. Some of these players had expectations before and never lived up to them while others kind of came out of nowhere. One of the keys to having a successful fantasy baseball team is to balance your team with star players who are expected to produce year in and year out with those who are "breakout" type players. These players are generally taken towards the middle to the late part of drafts and, in many cases, produce to the level of those taken at the top of the draft. Some times you, as the fantasy owner, invest in a player who you think can have that season and others that you simply luck out by having on your team. I have put together a group of players who make up my 2014 breakout season team. It is not an All Star team, but a team of players who could not be expected to perform at the level that they did. It could be a comeback type player, but a player will not be eligible if they had a season similar prior to this season. Johnny Cueto is the perfect example. He is in the running for the NL Cy Young Award and is likely to finish 2nd to the Dodgers Clayton Kershaw. However, he has been an All Star before and just two years ago, won 19 games for the Reds. Many of the players on this team have had expectations before, but have not been able to reach the level many thought they would. Sometimes it takes a couple of seasons for a player to reach their potential. A breakout season, in my definition, is one that takes a player from being one that was questionable to be a regular or a borderline platoon player, or spot starter or reliever, to one that is expected to be a foundation piece for their respective team going forward. This player's performance in 2014 has allowed for their team to not have to pursue an upgrade at their position where they may have been considering it going into this season. Some players may have been starters otherwise, but have now become core pieces for their teams going forward. In addition to comeback players being left off this team, I also have to leave rookies and players in their first full season off the team. Jose Abreu and Dellin Betances are prime examples as neither had any type of resume on a MLB team prior to 2014. Abreu made his debut this past season and Betances had just 8 games pitched prior to having his unbelievable year. Some of my choices are judgement calls and are up for debate. I am free to continue this discussion in the comment section as well as my twitter account @john_pielli. While I have studied the performances of most of the players in the game, there is a chance I could have overlooked a breakout season or two. If that is the case, please mention anything in the comment section and if I find fitting, I will edit the post and give the reader credit for what has been added. Otherwise, I'll be happy to explain my point of view of why I left said player off the list. I will go position by position, starting with catcher. Here is the 2014 breakout season team.

Catcher- Devin Mesoraco, Cincinnati Reds: The offensive production of catchers in major league baseball has been down over the past several seasons. Many of the game's better offensive catchers have seen their numbers, mainly batting average, decline over the past couple years. Of course, guys like Buster Posey and Jonathan LuCroy continue to put up great numbers each year. Looking at guys like Wilson Ramos and Derek Norris, there is some hope as far as players who should hold down these positions for their respective teams. Travis d'Arnaud had a very good second half and could breakout next season. To me, there is only one catcher who stood out in this regard. The Reds traded Ryan Hanigan to Tampa Bay to open up the position for Devin Mesoraco. Mesoraco responded by hitting .273, 25, 80, .893- something that the Reds needed with the injury to Joey Votto and down seasons from Brandon Phillips and Jay Bruce.

First Base- Lucas Duda, New York Mets: The Mets made what was the thought at the time to be a controversial move when they traded Ike Davis to the Pirates to free up the 1B position for Lucas Duda. I wasn't in complete agreement because I felt Duda got just as much time to prove himself as a regular MLB player. After all, he was the starting RF opening day in 2012 and the starting LF for the Mets in 2013. Duda proved me, as well as many others, wrong with his breakout season. He hit .253, 30, 92, .830 and has established himself as the Mets regular 1B going forward.

Second Base- Dee Gordon, Los Angeles Dodgers: The Dodgers, coming into this season, were known for their star power. Guys like Yasiel Puig, Matt Kemp, Adrian Gonzalez and Hanley Ramirez left little room for a breakout type player. Guys like Alex Guerrero and Chone Figgins were expected to be in the mix to play 2B in addition to Dee Gordon. Gordon has had high expectations before and was though of to be a borderline bust for LA. He stood tall this season, leaving the Dodgers without a doubt over who their starting 2B will be going forward. He hit .289, 2, 34 with 64 stolen bases, 12 triples, 92 runs scored and 176 hits. Minnesota Twins 2B Brian Dozier hit .242, 23, 71 and will be a fixture going forward but to me, Gordon stood out more.

Third Base- Anthony Rendon, Washington Nationals: I looked at third base as the only position that could have been one of two players. I look at the season that Reds 3B Todd Frazier had, .273, 29, 80, .795, 88 runs scored, and understand that a point could be made that it was an outstanding breakout season. Similar to Mesoraco, Frazier's offensive production was very valuable to the Reds, who certainly needed it. However, just two seasons ago, Frazier hit the same .273 and had been a fixture at 3B over the past three seasons. Yes, his power numbers went up and it was outstanding to see him hit 29 HR, but in my opinion, he had already established himself. Rendon came into the 2014 season with some high expectations, but no position. The Nationals initially planned to give him some time at 2B, sharing the position with incumbent Danny Espinosa. Another injury to starting 3B Ryan Zimmerman sent Rendon back to his natural position and he took off. Rendon hit .287, 21, 83, .824 with 111 RS and 39 2B. His breakout season will force the Nationals to figure out where Zimmerman will play next year.

Outfield: Michael Brantley, Cleveland Indians; Corey Dickerson, Colorado Rockies; JD Martinez, Detroit Tigers- Before I talk about the OFs on this team, I have to give an honorable mention. Rockies OF Charlie Blackmon got off to a great start and will likely be an important piece for Colorado going forward. Blackmon hit .288, 19, 72, .775 with 82 RS and 28 SB. His teammate, Corey Dickerson, went even more under the radar in 2014. Dickerson finished the season at .312, 24, 76, .931 and really had the better overall season. A case can be made that the breakout player of the entire 2014 season is Michael Brantley of the Indians. Brantley was part of the Indians OF mix which included Michael Bourn, David Murphy, Nick Swisher and even Nyger Morgan. Brantley's 2014 numbers speak for themselves as he hit .327, 20, 97, .890 with 94 RS, 200 hits and 45 2B. Brantley went from being a member of the outfield mix to the best offensive player on the team and a borderline AL star. The last spot went to JD Martinez, a player I thought would have broken out already. He had a handful of seasons in Houston where he got a chance to play everyday. Unfortunately, he never took off and wound up signing a free agent deal with the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers had an available spot in their OF and Martinez took it. He hit .315, 23, 76, .912 and his performance led to the trade of CF Austin Jackson to Seattle. The Tigers had a hole in LF and some other options included Don Kelly and Nick Castellanos. Martinez has made the Tigers an even more dangerous lineup as they head to the postseason.

Shortstop: Undecided: Shortstops are adequately filled positions throughout MLB or are huge questionmarks. The best are Troy Tulowitski of the Rockies, Ramirez of LA and Ian Desmond of Washington as well as Jose Reyes of the Blue Jays and Alexei Ramirez of the White Sox. What they all have in common is the fact that they have done it before and it was very difficult to find a breakout SS that a team will definitely go with going forward. Cubs SS Starlin Castro and Cardinals SS Jhonny Peralta are expected to put up very good numbers going forward as they did in 2014 and in prior seasons. The SS I felt had the most standout season was one that had also been a regular before. Royals SS Alcides Escobar hit .285, 3, 50, .694 with 34 SB had arguably a better season for the Royals in 2012. The Marlins Adeiny Hechavarria improved his average almost 50 points (.276) from what he hit in his first season in Miami. Guys like Chris Owings (who is a rookie) and Brad Miller were underwhelming this season. And Red Sox SS Xander Bogaerts could be up for a breakout 2015 season. If I had to put a breakout player on this team, it would be a player who spent some time at SS, but not as a regular. The Pirates Josh Harrison played 8 games at SS this year, but deserves to be on this team. Perhaps you can make him a utility player, but he would be the SS on my team. Harrison hit .315, 13, 52, .837 with 38 SB making the NL All Star team. Maybe I'd platoon Harrison with Dodgers infielder Justin Turner, who played 15 games at the position in 2014. Turner hit .340, 7, 43, .897 for LA and like Harrison, played all over the infield. Harrison is more of the utility player as he also plays the OF. My 2014 breakout SSs played a total of 22 games at the position. I am willing to listen to alternatives. Obviously, neither Harrison or Turner will be playing SS everyday for their respective teams anytime soon. So, gun to my head, I would go with Jordy Mercer of the Pirates. Mercer finally inherited the starting job from Clint Barmes and this season, played in 149 games and hit .255, 12, 55, .693. His batting average was down from 2013, when he was a role player. However, his 2014 season fits the criteria of what a breakout season is as he is very likely to be the Pirates starting SS going forward.

Starting Pitcher- Corey Kluber, Cleveland Indians: I considered several others for this spot, but it is difficult to argue with Kluber. His 18-9, 2.44, 269 Ks and 2.35 FIP put him in the discussion for the AL Cy Young. Alfredo Simon of the Reds was supposed to fill in as the 5th starter until Mat Latos came back from injury, but he secured his 2015 rotation spot with his 15-10, 3.44. 196+ inning season. Tyson Ross (13-14, 2.81, 195 Ks) did the same for the Padres and Edinson Volquez (13-7, 3.04) of the Pirates finally shook off the criticism of being just a 5th starter candidate. Kluber has become an ace and his performance has made GM Chris Antonetti and manager Terry Francona look very good after the tough decisions to let free agents Ubaldo Jimenez and Scott Kazmir walk as free agents. Kluber and Carlos Carrasco allowed for the Indians to even trade top starter Justin Masterson.

Relief Pitcher- Zach Britton, Baltimore Orioles: The Orioles traded Jim Johnson, their closer coming off back to back 50 save seasons, to the Athletics leaving them without a proven 9th inning reliever. The job was originally set to go to Tommy Hunter, but an early season injury led the Orioles to go to Britton. Prior to this season, Britton had appeared in 48 career MLB games, but 46 of them were as a starting pitcher. Britton made a successful transition into a late game reliever, going 3-2, 1.65 with 37 saves while appearing in 71 games for the Orioles. Of course, Britton was not the only one to break out as a reliever in 2014. Mets RHP Jenrry Mejia started 2014 in the team's rotation, before becoming the closer after 7 starts. He went 6-6. 3.65, 28 saves and had 98 Ks in 93+ IP. Athletics LHP Sean Doolittle took over as the closer after a couple decent seasons as a middle reliever and went 2-4, 2.73, 22 saves and an improved K rate (89 Ks in 62+ IP). Journeyman Fernando Abad took over for Doolittle and pitched in 69 games and went 2-4, 1.57. 36 year old Mets RHP Buddy Carlyle gets the Elmer Dessens award for his 1.45 ERA in 27 games.

Most people want to predict what exact moves teams will make this time of year. As we are in the 3rd week of November, it impossible to accurately state exactly which players will be part of a particularly organization. I have been guilty of making similar predictions. Though there is some doubt, at this stage of the offseason, in regards to the New York Mets, it has to be trusted that the team will address some of the numerous needs that they have. Similarly to the way I spoke about the Mets outfield of Lucas Duda, Kirk Nieuwenhuis and Mike Baxter being on pace for the Mets to start the 2013 season with, I will discuss the Mets roster as it is now. Of course, the Mets would start the 2013 season with Duda, Collin Cowgill and Marlon Byrd as the starting lineup. I am hoping that my analysis will inspire the Mets to make changes to make the team more competitive in 2014. Obviously, there are plans for the Mets to potentially sign free agents. The Mets are almost certain to make at least a trade or two. But lets say the team stays the same as it was at the end of 2013. The team would consist of the 40 man roster at the end of 2013 minus the team's free agent. I am also assuming all players are tendered 2014 contracts. In addition, I am not adding any of the players that may be added to the 40 man roster before the Rule 5 draft. So, here it is... your 2014 New York Mets. At least fans should understand there will be some better talent on this team coming opening day. Before you continue to read this piece, please understand this is a parody article promoting the 2014 Mets as their 40 man roster states at the moment. As the roster exists now, I am trimming the 36 players down to 25. This is easier with the expected losses of Matt Harvey and Jeremy Hefner for the season with Tommy John surgery. Offensively, the Mets will have a log jam at first base, with Ike Davis, Lucas Duda and Josh Satin expected to be on the roster. Having the three of them on the roster, I'd start the season with Davis playing against right handers and Satin against left handers. Duda, to me, gives the team more off the bench as a pinch hitter, assuming Davis is better than he was last season. Daniel Murphy returns to play 2B and Ruben Tejada is looking to bounce back after a difficult 2013. Of course, David Wright is back to play 3B and probably batting cleanup as there is little to no other options. The starting outfield consists of Eric Young Jr in left, Matt den dekker in CF and Juan Lagares in RF. Though Lagares has proven himself at the MLB level as a CF, den dekker has the ability to be even better defensively. Travis d'Arnaud will be the starting catcher. The lineup looks like this Young LF, Tejada SS, Murphy 2B, Wright 3B, Davis/ Duda/ Satin 1B, d'Arnaud C, Lagares RF, den dekker CF. Tejada is probably the best option to bat 2nd based on what is here. Lagares will get some time in the 2 hole as well as leadoff. The bench starts out with Duda and Satin when Davis is playing as two of the three will make up 40 percent of the Mets bench. Justin Turner has the edge over Omar Quintanilla as the backup middle infielder because he doubles as a pinch hitter. The Mets biggest battle will between backup catchers Juan Centeno and Anthony Recker. Centeno has the edge going in. That leaves one more spot which pretty much has to go to an outfielder. Andrew Brown probably has the advantage, with Kirk Nieuwenhuis and Cesar Puello getting an opportunity. Among other possibilities are Wilmer Flores, Wilfredo Tovar, Zach Lutz and Jordany Valdespin. The Mets starting rotation will be missing Matt Harvey, as well as Jeremy Hefner, this season. The Mets rotation could be the one bright spot as the offense definitely leaves much to be desired. Jonathon Niese leads a young staff which will include Zack Wheeler, Dillon Gee and Jenrry Mejia. As Hansel Robles probably will not be ready for the bigs right away, Carlos Torres is a lock for the 5th spot in the team's rotation. Perhaps the Mets may consider former starters Jeurys Familia and Gonzalez Germen. I expect one or both to be stretched out in spring training. The bullpen brings back its closer, Bobby Parnell as he returns from his back injury. Germen and Familia will give the Mets some youth setting up. Vic Black, obtained in the late season trade with the Pirates, should be the 8th inning guy. Scott Rice and Josh Edgin will be the lefty setup men. Scott Atchison is a lock to be the last pitcher in the pen. Odds are, the Mets will use many several players I just talked about. As most other fans, I expect to see the Mets try to address needs in the outfield, shortstop, starting rotation and bullpen. I expect the outlook of the team to be better by the spring time. And, look at it this way, even if the team does not look like it could win a championship, it is much better than the team I just profiled. Maybe you should read this article again at the beginning of March so you feel better about the team that is assembled.

Josh Satin has continued his hot hitting from AAA during his first three weeks at the major league level with the New York Mets. Though Satin is not considered a top prospect by any means, fans can take some solace in the fact that he has performed well since coming up from AAA Las Vegas. In 55 at bats, he has hit .382, 1, 8 with 9 2Bs replacing the demoted Ike Davis. However, now that Davis is back, Satin will see his playing time diminished as he has little versatility. At the very least, Satin has earned a roster spot on the 25 man as well as on the 40 man should the Mets send him down in a numbers game. 29 other teams could find a spot for Satin if he is DFA'd in what would be a foolish move for the Mets. In spite of Satin's production, it is understandable that many are not giving it much credence. And while nobody should expect Satin to become a star, or a regular player for that matter, he fits the build of a couple New York players who got off to great starts and had a role on their teams even after they came back down to earth. Benny Agbayani was hitting .451 after 51 at bats during the 1999 season. It was unexpected that Agbayani was going to become a star, but he still finished the season very respectable. He hit .286, 14, 42 and was a part of the Mets postseason teams of 1999 and 2000. Justin Turner was a story during the 2011 season for the Mets. He hit .260, 4, 51 with 30 2B in 117 games as the starting second baseman for the team during the season. Nobody thought Turner was a star, as even at his best is not the offensive player Daniel Murphy is. But a healthy Turner is a solid bench player. He can fill in at a couple of positions, work a count and be trusted to get a big hit in a big spot. On the other side of town, there were a couple similar, any maybe more noteworthy stories. Remember Kevin Maas? The left had hitting power 1B got a chance to play when Don Mattingly was on the disabled list in 1990. In 79 games, Maas hit .252, 21, 41 in 254 ABs. Because of this, he got a chance to be the Yankees full time DH in 1991, hitting 23 HRs in 148 games with Mattingly entrenched at 1B. He only hit .220 and saw his playing time diminish over the next two seasons. That, coupled with injuries, led to Maas' time being cut short as an every day player. While the 1998 Yankees were on their way to 114 victories, they brought up a September call up named Shane Spencer. Spencer, at the time, was 26 years old but preceded to hit .373, 10, 27 in just 67 at bats over 27 games. Over that time, he had a 1.321 OPS. He earned a spot on the postseason team and kept up his hitting, launching 2 HRs in the 1998 ALDS vs Texas. However, after that run, Spencer could not keep the momentum going as he would never OPS over .789 in a season again. Spencer would become a decent bench option for the Yankees over the next 4 seasons. If Josh Satin becomes a viable bench option for the Mets next season, that can be considered a positive. Bench players usually have a little cost to them, perhaps as much as $2-$5 million a season. Satin will be making the league minimum, so if he can continue to hit, he becomes a bargain. It is nice to see a player who has paid his dues in the minor leagues take advantage of a chance he was not expecting to get. Hopefully he keeps it up.

The first question I expect to be asked is "How can you be a Mets fan and pick them to do so poorly?" Listen, there are few people that want to see them do better than myself but the major reason is the fact that most other teams have done more to address their needs for the short term. The Mets future may look great because of Zack Wheeler and Travis d'Arnaud, but it does nothing to effect the present. For what it is worth, the teams next on my list at #26 and #25, finish with one and two more wins, respectively. The major reason I think the team will have problems is the fact that they went 74-88 last season with RA Dickey going 20-6. Without Dickey, the Mets could have been 28 games under .500. I have a hard time seeing a Mets pitcher make up for what Dickey did last season in 2013. Add in the fact that the team did little to address a dreaded OF situation, this could get bad real fast. The Mets first offseason under GM Sandy Alderson netted the Mets very little. They signed free agents like Chris Young, Chris Capuano, Tim Byrdak, Taylor Buchholz and Ronny Paulino, as well as Willie Harris and Scott Hairston. All to very inexpensive contracts, where Capuano, Byrdak and Hairston exceeded expectations. The Mets spent the next offseason essentially making all their moves in one day, trading OF Angel Pagan to San Francisco for RHP Ramon Ramirez and OF Andres Torres. All three now play for the Giants. The Mets also signed RHPs Frank Francisco and Jon Rauch and later added SS Ronny Cedeno to the mix. Hairston (.263, 20, 57) and Young both returned and were important members of the 2012 team. Francisco Rodriguez, Carlos Beltran and Jose Reyes were all gone by the end of 2011, with Dickey, Hairston and Jason Bay joining them after 2012. As far as the Mets 2012 offseason, it started with the parting of ways with Bay, which was inevitable. The Dickey trade gives the Mets d'Arnaud, as well as John Buck, who in my opinion is still an upgrade over Josh Thole (.234, 1, 21 in 2012). Shawn Marcum is a good signing, even though he is coming off an injury riddled 2012 season. He should provide innings and averages about 12-13 wins in a full season. Brandon Lyon essentially replaced Rauch (3-7, 3.59, in 73 games) and showed a higher K per 9 IP than any other point in his career. The Mets hopes sit on what they can get out of Johan Santana, who is unlikely to pitch opening day for the Mets. Offensively, the Mets brought in former OF prospect Collin Cowgill in a trade with the Oakland Athletics for minor league 3B Jeffre Marte. Cowgill had an unbelievable 2011 season at AAA Reno (Diamondbacks), hitting .354, 13, 70 with 95 RS in 98 games. He came down to earth last season, hitting just .254, 4, 31 in 63 games for AAA Sacramento. However, he is off to a great start this spring with 8 hits in his first 16 ABs. The Mets also brought in OF Marlon Byrd on a minor league contract, fresh off his 50 game suspension for the use of PEDs. Byrd is also off a 3 year, $15 million contract he signed with the Cubs. Both are expected to be on the opening day roster and possibly in the starting lineup. Other interesting signings are INF Brandon Hicks, who is expected to make the team as a utility player and OF Jamie Hoffman, who could be a sleeper. Farmhand Matt Den Dekker and minor league free agent Andrew Brown should also get strong consideration. Cowgill and Byrd, if they make the team, could be part of a platoon with LHs Kirk Nieuwenhuis and Mike Baxter. Nieuwenhuis is already hurt, giving Hoffman and den Dekker a chance to win a job outright. Lucas Duda (.239, 15, 57 in 121 games in 2012) gets another chance to play everyday, this time in LF. With Buck behind the plate, the Mets are set with their infield of Ike Davis, Daniel Murphy, Ruben Tejada and David Wright. The lineup I would go with is Byrd/Baxter RF, Murphy 2B, Wright 3B, Davis 1B, Duda LF, Buck C, Cowgill/Nieuwenhuis CF, Tejada SS. Obviously, Tejada can move up in the order to bat 1st or 2nd, as I expect manager Terry Collins to ride the hot hand. As far as the bench, I expect the Mets to pursue a trade of either Justin Turner or Jordany Valdespin, while I prefer the Mets to hold on to Valdespin. Hicks is likely to win the job as super utility player and two spots are left: one for an infielder and one for the backup catcher. The catcher is likely to be free agent Anthony Recker, who could be better offensively than some fans may think. Landon Powell comes over to provide some depth. The Mets starting rotation will have a spot to battle for if Santana is not ready to go opening day. It is best for the Mets to get Santana to full health before running him out there, so hopefully once he returns, he has no further setbacks. Jonathon Niese is set to pitch opening day, assuming Santana is not ready to pitch. (Manager Collins already announced Santana would pitch opening day if healthy). Marcum probably pitches the second game, followed by Matt Harvey. Dillon Gee returns from his blood clot injury to pitch the 4th game, followed by either Jeremy Hefner, Collin McHugh or Jenrry Mejia. The bullpen is also missing its top piece, closer Frank Francisco. He is unlikely to be ready opening day, making Bobby Parnell the closer. The bullpen could be much improved with Lyon, Latroy Hawkins, Scott Atchinson and younger pitchers like Josh Edgin, Jeurys Familia and Robert Carson. Greg Burke is a pitcher the Mets like, so expect to see him on the OD roster. LHPs Pedro Feliciano and Byrdak will be part of the mix if healthy, as well as LHP Scott Rice. In my opinion, the Mets bullpen should look a little better than it did the past two seasons. Of course, Wheeler and d'Arnaud will be anticipated as soon as possible, likely no earlier than the end of May. If the team struggles, they will clearly turn to the two to get some fans in the seats. For those of whom expect better than 69-93: Where do the Mets get the additional 14 games over .500 they got from Dickey last season? Can you trust the Mets to run three dependable options in their OF every day? What will happen to make this team perform exceedingly well? I predict the opposite of the last two seasons, they Mets have a bad first half, but finish very strong (not strong enough to make a serious postseason run). They will finish 69-93, forth place in the NL East. Vegas has their over/ under at 74, so I am predicting the under. As a Mets fan, I am rooting for the opposite of 93-69, but there is clearly no logic in that thought.

It is time to stop with the speculation in regards to the 2013 New York Mets. All there has been is names mentioned in regards to the team and the same story reported a couple days later that the price was too high or the Mets never had interest. Anybody who does not know by now, the Mets do not care about the 2013 season. It is all about the future when the fans can celebrate their farm system which is now in the top 20 of all baseball! Our friends at Mets blog, as well as the beat reporters that cover the team need something to write about. So it is likely the speculation will continue. I remember going to Cincinnati to watch the Mets/ Reds opening day in 2005 and the video the Reds put up about their new players. They highlighted Joe Randa, Kent Mercker and Ben Weber among the best of their newcomers. That video tribute is like introducing the 2013 Blue Jays when compared to the 2013 Mets. Here is what the Mets newcomer list will look like. Remember Travis d'Arnaud will not be on the Mets roster come opening day. Perhaps there will be a video tribute for John Buck and his .192 average and 12 HR and 41 RBI. The Mets strengthened bench would highlight newcomers Brandon Hicks, Collin Cowgill and Anthony Recker. The Mets lineup for 2013 will have SS Ruben Tejada, 2B Daniel Murphy, 3B David Wright, 1B Ike Davis, LF Lucas Duda, C Buck, CF Kirk Kieuwenhuis and RF Mike Baxter. Bench will include Cowgill, Hicks, Recker, Justin Turner and Jordany Valdespin. The starting rotation will have Jonathon Niese, Matt Harvey, Johan Santana, Dillon Gee and Jennry Mejia. The bullpen is led by Frank Francisco and includes Bobby Parnell, Robert Carson, Josh Edgin, Jeurys Familia, Jeremy Hefner and Elvin Ramirez. Of course I can hear it now. Relax man, the offseason is not over. They have been "linked" to this player and that player. Apparently many people cannot understand that people have to write something. I will believe it when I see it. The Mets will never pay the prospect price to land Justin Upton. Scott Hairston may even become too expensive. It is not like the other teams are overpaying for all these players, especially the ones getting one and two year deals. The price is not coming down, contrary to what Sandy Alderson says. Free agent players are starting to stay away from the Mets because they know the Mets are not playing fair. It is time for the Mets to add a player for market value. If not, the Mets will be running a team without a major league free agent.

One thing that got a lot of Mets fans to support manager Terry Collins and his way of running the team was his insistance of playing the game right regardless of who was in the lineup. While Jerry Manuel openly told reporters the team was waiting for injured players to get back, Collins expects production regardless of who is injured and who is in the lineup. Collins also mentioned that if players hit, they would play.

The last statement would imply that he would be more inclined to play the hot hand. It has not been the case as Collins has continued to insist on playing a predominantly right handed hitting lineup against left hand pitchers, a lineup that has not given the Mets much of a chance against southpaws. Scott Hairston has had a very good season, particularly against left handers, but the rest of the team has not. Guys like Justin Turner and Ronny Cedeno have hit the same against right and left handers this season. Daniel Murphy (coming off a 4 hit game) has handled left handers as good as Turner and Cedeno. Yet Murphy is on the bench and so is Jordany Valdespin, who hit another pinch hit homerun in his last at bat. The fact that the Mets have struggled against left handers should lead to more left handed bats being run out there. Collins has done that a lot with Lucas Duda and Ike Davis and did that early on with Murphy. But, it seems like every time a left hander is on the mound, he unloads his right handed bench, thinking it going to work. IT NEVER DOES! Josh Thole, though its agreeable that he has not had a good offensive season, is hitting .255 against LHP, while Mike Nickeas has hit .200. Yet Nickeas is run out there just about everytime a left hander is pitching. It is fair to say Valdespin does not have a position, but it doesn't mean he gives the team less of a chance against a LHP. I'm wondering when there will be a finalization that the lineup against lefthanders does not work. To say a lineup with Murphy, Thole and Valdespin could at least do the same as a lineup with Nickeas, Cedeno and either Bay or Torres would be an understatement. But, as time goes on, it is a wonder whether that will ever happen. Collins has preached it doesn't matter what the name says on the back of the jersey, but maybe it only applies to whether it's a star calibur player or not. Right handed hitting players play against LHP regardless of how much they give the team a chance to win, apparently. As this team is hitting a potentially fatal stretch of the season, it would be nice to see a lineup consist of the team's best hitters, not the overthinking involved in right-left matchups. If it's all about the numbers, the numbers show its not working. It's time to change this matchup obsession before its too late. But, it may not matter a week from now.

The number one reason fans that did not want the Mets to re-sign SS Jose Reyes gave was that he was always hurt. The thought was the 6 year, $106 million deal he got from the Miami Marlins was not justified due to his injury history, particularly with his hamstrings. You could point to the troubles he had at the end of last season, which certainly hindered his performance. It was obvious he was hiding an injury by the way he was not stealing bases in the second half of 2011. So, while any intelligent fan understands that the Mets could not replace Reyes' skills completely with their next internal SS, at least there was the unanimous perception that the injury problems are now a thing of the past. Ruben Tejada has spent over three weeks now on the disabled list with a pulled quad muscle. The Mets are optimistic that Tejada can return to the Mets lineup within a week. Ronny Cedeno, who was signed to be an insurance plan for Tejada, is currently injured and could possibly land on the DL for the second time this year. The Mets are also optimistic Cedeno will avoid the DL. If you have followed the Mets over the past four years, you know that you cannot trust such statements. Whether its Tejada, Cedeno, C Josh Thole or anybody else, I don't believe they are ok until they are back on the field playing for the Mets. With Justin Turner, the Mets third choice to start at SS, now on the DL, the Mets have called up Omar Quintanilla from AAA Buffalo. Quintanilla is the Mets forth string SS. David Wright and Jordany Valdespin have also played SS this year, meaning six players have manned the position this season. The question I posed in my title could be answered very quickly. If Tejada returns shortly and plays without injury as often as he did for the better part of his first two seasons with the Mets, the Mets have their regular SS. The Mets could make a DL decision on Cedeno, or send Quintanilla back to AAA. If Tejada remains in the starting line-up, who is backing him up is not as important. The Mets are a better team with Cedeno and Turner, but Quintanilla will not be playing that much if he is a back-up. Essentially Vinny Rottino would be taking one of their spots, and he has shown a little power lately. Hopefully this is not the first of many leg injuries for Tejada. Within a couple of healthy weeks of him returning, many fans will forget about his recent injury. If something crops up again soon, questions will start to arise over whether this is another Jose Reyes situation, without a Reyes upside. Heres to hoping Ruben Tejada is returning to stay the Mets SS; and there is no curse at the Mets SS position.